Imagine Dragons experience “Night Visions” with full-length debut

By ALYSSA HOLCOMB

Part alternative and part indie rock, Nevada quartet Imagine Dragons are full part fantastic on their full-length debut “Night Visions”.

The album, while maintaining a mainly indie vibe, has traces of a variety of musical influences. From the hip-hop twinged opener “Radioactive” to the anthem-sized, U2 or Coldplay reminiscent “Nothing Left To Say/Rocks”, the band covers a wide spectrum of popular music patterns. Yet, this entire album has a collective consistency, with singer Dan Reynolds utilizing repeating vocals and short, powerful lyrical prose.

Again keeping with the indie feel, slight, plucking guitars from Wayne Sermon and soft thrumming by bassist Ben McKee drive songs like “Amsterdam” and “On Top Of The World”. Contrastingly, the darker “Radioactive” and “Bleeding Out” have a technological undertone, with sharp beats, encouraged by the style of hip-hop producer Alex Da Kid (B.O.B.’s “Airplanes”, featuring Paramore’s Hayley Williams).

Current single “It’s Time”, its unmistakable opening riff cheerfully melancholy, is one of the standout songs on the record. It’s an example of dark yet hopeful meanings highlighted by powerful yet peppy music, a constant theme on this record, if any (similarly, “Every Night” and “Nothing Left To Say/Rocks” maintain this pattern).

In terms of publicity, songs from “Night Visions” (and its prelude, the 6-track EP “Continued Silence”) have been featured in commercials (“On Top Of The World”) trailers, and television shows (“The Perks Of Being A Wallflower”, “Glee”). Yet, the band retains its indie-alt focus with this album, a pure, powerful record that sounds like it has been made solely for the listener.

Imagine Dragons embarks on a tour with AWOLNATION starting this month, ending its run with stops in Tampa and Orlando on October 24 and 25, respectively. For more information, check out the band’s official website: www.imaginedragonsmusic.com.